Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church

by Jack Rogers

Paperback, 2006

Status

Available

Collections

Description

In this revised and expanded best seller, Rogers argues for equal rights in both the church and society for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered people. He describes how he moved away from opposition to support, charts the church's history of using biblical passages to oppress marginalized groups, argues for a Christ-centered reading of Scripture, debunks stereotypes about gays and lesbians, and explores texts used most frequently against homosexuals and gay ordination. In this newly revised edition, he maps the recent progress of major U.S. denominations toward full equality for LGBT persons, adds a new chapter that examines how Scripture is best interpreted by Jesus' redemptive life and ministry, and updates his own efforts and experiences. The book also includes a guide for group study or personal reflection.… (more)

Publication

Westminster John Knox Press (2009), 169 pages

Rating

½ (10 ratings; 4)

User reviews

LibraryThing member krasiviye.slova
Roger's book is an accessible exploration of the history of Presbyterian biblical interpretation. It is also the story of how he came to an understanding of the Bible that does not condemn gay and lesbian Christians. He begins with his own theological journey as a route to explore the ways in the
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past that the Bible has been used to defend oppression and the parallels to how those mistakes are repeated today.

Roger's book is ideal for clergy and laity in the Presbyterian Church or other mainstream denominations.
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LibraryThing member asuico
Rogers provides a good overview of the reasons why condemning homosexuality within the church is a hurtful and counter-productive activity, citing both Biblical quotes that many take out of context, and historical precedents in which women and African Americans did not have full rights to
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participation in Christian fellowship.

The book could have been written better, however, as the author assumes a familiarity that readers who are not very familiar with either the Presbyterian Church or the Bible would have. It would have benefited from a more detailed explanation of the structure of the Presbyterian Church, as I found the discussion of the various councils quite confusing. Furthermore, in one chapter Rogers mentions that Romans 1 is a Biblical source that individuals often use in their denunciation of homosexuality, yet he never provides the reader with a direct quotation or even a brief explanation of its content.
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LibraryThing member CovenantPresMadison
Jesus, the Bible, and Homosexuality by Jack Rogers provides a practical resource firmly grounded in contemporary theological thinking to anyone grappling with the reconciliation of their Christian faith and homosexuality. Rogers approaches the topic from a Presbyterian perspective, having
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faithfully served the Lord in a distinguished career as a pastor, theologian and leader in the Presbyterian church. He explores the traditional Christian treatment of homosexuality by identifying poignant similarities between it and past racial and gender discrimination in the church. Rogers and interrogation of biblical texts classically used to condemn homosexuality is crisp and illuminating, raising profound questions and pointing to the danger of non-contextual interpretation. The gentle tone of his Christ-centered argument is persuasive and invokes deep contemplation about a matter that is at the forefront of social and spiritual debate. Irrespective of one's opinion on the matter, I have little doubt that this book will in some way touch the hearts of all who read it.
Jean Pitot, April, 2014 (Jean and his wife, Robyn, attended Covenant during their 6-month stay in Madison in 2014. Jean was a Fulbright scholar studying solar power.
Jean and Robyn are now back in their home in South Africa.)
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